Harrys London unveils 'world’s most comfortable loafer'

Contemporary British footwear brand Harrys London has unveiled what it is calling "the world’s most comfortable loafer" – scientifically proven to reduce foot pain.

Once again enlisting the services of the UK’s leading musculoskeletal practitioners, Harley Street-based Marylebone Health Group (MHG), along with foot specialist clinic London Podiatry Centre, the new £550 ‘Harley’ loafer offers an even more scientific approach to foot support than the first incarnation of the loafer, which was launched in June 2024.

The first ‘Harley’ loafer, which featured Technogel insoles – as does the latest version - and a custom-designed Vibram ‘Windsurf’ sole, was inspired by Harrys’ ‘Downing’ loafer, a bestseller since Harrys was founded in 2001. Fans of the loafer include actors and musicians such as Jason Isaacs, Sam Claflin, Donald Glover, Adam Scott and Sam Fender.

Sean Dixon, Managing Director of Harrys London, said: "The brand has sold over 100,000 pairs of loafers to in the know Londoners for nearly 25 years and has built up a loyal A list and discerning clientele. The ‘Harley’ was the natural step for us – responding to customer demand for comfort but with no compromise on style."

The London Podiatry Centre has provided expert care to many Premier League football teams, including Arsenal, where its director, Ron McCulloch, worked for over 25 years. It has also offered specialist input and care to the England international football team, as well as the 2012 UK Olympics team.

The extensive testing concluded that the revolutionary men’s slip-on, loafer-style shoe - developed in collaboration with MHG - lowers the pressure applied on the injury-prone second toe joint and heel of the feet, "the most troublesome areas", during everyday walking and standing "by up to 400%".

A kilopascal (kPa) is a unit of pressure equal to 1,000 pascals, where one pascal is the pressure from a force of one newton (the force needed to accelerate one kilogram of mass by one meter per second squared) applied over one square meter.

McCulloch said: "Forefoot pressures went down from about 400 kilopascals in a standard all-leather loafer to about 100 kilopascals in the ‘Harley’. Heel pressures went down from 800 kilopascals to 200. The shoe could potentially be very valuable for people who suffer from foot or heel pain and or are likely to develop either as a consequence of their foot structures."

According to research, the average UK male takes between 5,000 and 10,000 steps per day, exerting 80-120% of their body weight on each footstep. This amounts to a force of 350,000 - 1,000,000 kilos being exerted on the body every day, a common cause of bone, joint and muscle-related injuries.

MHG studied how the sinusoidal motion of human walking – the cyclical movement that encompasses posture, rhythm, balance and speed – interacts with the pressure points of the feet.

Researchers then focused on optimising shock absorption, weight distribution and foot stability. It is the first time that sports science has been applied to the production of a formal shoe.

In another new development, Harrys London commissioned sports design studio IIID to apply MHG’s findings to its standard Technogel insole. Technogel is a unique, plasticizer-free gel material that can change its shape in all three directions: length, width and depth. It behaves like a liquid but has the shape memory of a solid and gives appreciable pressure relief.

IIID then integrated additional elements: foam gel for additional cushioning, an interspersing layer of air for breathability and responsiveness, and featherweight carbon strips at the heel and ball of the foot for enhanced stability. The result was the 3 6 T footbed, which is the integral component of the Harley loafer.

James Moore, founder and Clinical Director of MHG, said: "By collaborating with Harrys, we’ve applied the latest in biomechanics and sports science to create footwear that doesn’t just look exceptional but actively enhances the way people move and feel."

The latest ‘Harley’ loafer is available now in dark brown and dark bark velvet suede, on the brand’s website and in its London stores at 29 Savile Row and 14 Motcomb Street, as well as its store at 463 Park Avenue in New York.